Most of us at some time or another have what we think is an amazing idea, but how many of us actually do anything about it?
When I had my second child as with any parent, life was hectic.
I already had an 8 year old who was at school, attended dance classes, had friends over and went to clubs etc. And I barely missed a beat when my son was born, he had to tag along too.
With such an age gap it was at times challenging to get where we needed to go and be, fed, dressed, awake and in one piece.
When my son was about 8 months he had bronchiolitis and spent several weeks in hospital, at this time I took the time to think about how I was going to manage things when he came out as it was now winter and I needed something that was easy to use, would keep him warm but had little fuss to apply.
So, I had my brief, I knew what I wanted and how it would work, I could even visualise it, but I couldn't find it anywhere in stores or on the internet, not here in the UK or abroad.
After moaning continually about not being able to find anything my partner said I should make one!
Challenge accepted...
The first question then was, where do I start?
My background in design and Fashion became an important tool in designing the Wrap and Go. The main challenge was researching my materials, packaging ideas and then coming up a suitable name for the product.
My starting point was to make sure it would fit my son and last him longer than a months growth spurt.
I then had to measure his pushchair and car seat to make sure I could use it in both, allowing for all strap configurations.
I made one for myself at first with no thought about making any for other parents until i started using it at the Mother and Baby groups where other Mom's asked me if they could have one.
Twenty Wrap and Go's later I decided it might be a good idea to produce them on a larger scale.
I had a friend in the fashion trade who gave me contacts for suppliers and manufacturers which cut out a lot of research and meant I knew I could trust the companies recommended to me.
Getting the first samples was such a proud moment and then two design changes later it still makes me grin from ear to ear when I see people using my product, that is never to going to change, it's safe to say that designing and following through with my idea is one of my greatest accomplishments.
(it goes without saying that keeping my kids alive until they could fend for themselves are my greatest accomplishments)
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